Reuven Rivlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reuven Rivlin
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רְאוּבֵן רִיבְלִין
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Official portrait, 2014
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| 10th President of Israel | |
| In office 24 July 2014 – 7 July 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Benjamin Netanyahu Naftali Bennett |
| Preceded by | Shimon Peres |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Herzog |
| 14th Speaker of the Knesset | |
| In office 10 March 2009 – 22 February 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Dalia Itzik |
| Succeeded by | Yuli-Yoel Edelstein |
| In office 28 February 2003 – 28 March 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Avraham Burg |
| Succeeded by | Dalia Itzik |
| Minister of Communications | |
| In office 7 March 2001 – 28 February 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Ariel Sharon |
| Preceded by | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer |
| Succeeded by | Ariel Sharon |
| Member of the Knesset | |
| In office 1 September 1996 – 11 June 2014 |
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| In office 21 November 1988 – 13 July 1992 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 September 1939 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine |
| Political party | Likud |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Signature |  |
| Presidential styles of Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin |
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| Reference style | His Excellency, The Honorable כבוד הנשיא |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency, Honorable President כבוד הנשיא |
| Alternative style | Mr. President אדוני הנשיא |
Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin (Hebrew: רְאוּבֵן "רוּבִי" רִיבְלִין [ʁeʔuˈven ʁivˈlin]; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the tenth President of Israel from 2014 to 2021. He is a member of the Likud political party.
Before becoming president, Rivlin was the Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003. He also served as Speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2013. He was elected President of Israel on 10 June 2014, and his term ended on 7 July 2021.
Rivlin believes in a unified Israel that includes all people. He thinks that Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza should have full Israeli citizenship. He is also a strong supporter of minority rights, especially for Arab Israelis. He supports the idea of a one-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
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Early Life and Education
Reuven Rivlin was born in Jerusalem in 1939. This was during the time when the British ruled the area, known as the Mandate era. His family, the Rivlin family, has lived in Jerusalem since 1809. He is a descendant of students of a famous Jewish scholar, the Vilna Gaon.
His parents were Rachel "Ray" Rivlin and Yosef Yoel Rivlin. His father, Yosef, created the first Hebrew version of the Quran. Yosef was also a candidate for president of Israel in 1957 but later stepped aside.
Rivlin went to Gymnasia Rehavia high school. He then served in the Intelligence Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. During the Six-Day War, he fought with the Jerusalem Brigade as an intelligence officer. After his military service, he studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Before starting his political career, Rivlin held several important roles. He was a legal advisor for the Beitar Jerusalem Sports Association and managed the Beitar football team. He was also a member of the Jerusalem City Council.
Political Career Highlights
Reuven Rivlin was first elected to the Knesset in 1988. He served as the chairman of the Likud party from 1988 to 1993. He lost his seat in the 1992 elections but returned to the Knesset in 1996.
In March 2001, he became the Minister of Communications. He held this position until February 2003. After that, he was elected Speaker of the Knesset in 2003. During his time as Speaker, he was known for speaking his mind. He often disagreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon about the disengagement plan.
Rivlin was re-elected to the Knesset in 2006 and 2009. In 2007, he ran for President as the Likud candidate. He later withdrew from the race. On 30 March 2009, the Knesset elected him as Speaker again. He received 90 out of 120 votes.
For his first official visit as Knesset Speaker, he visited the Arab-Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm. He was joined by other members of the Knesset. Since 1999, Rivlin has worked with Rivka Ravitz, a Haredi woman. She served as his chief of staff when he became president.
President of Israel
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Rivlin was elected as the 10th President of Israel on 10 June 2014. He won with the support of 63 members of the Knesset. He was sworn in on 24 July 2014, taking over from Shimon Peres. When he became president, he stopped being a member of the Knesset.
On 25 March 2015, President Rivlin officially asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government. This happened after the elections the previous week. Rivlin spoke about the importance of improving Israel's relationship with the United States. He also expressed his disapproval of Netanyahu's comments about Arab voters.
Rivlin also urged the new government to work on healing divisions within Israeli society. He wanted them to create more stability to avoid early elections.
In July 2015, Rivlin strongly condemned an attack on a Palestinian home. This attack, likely by Jewish extremists, resulted in the death of a Palestinian toddler. Rivlin called the attackers "terrorists." He said it was sad that his own people had "chosen the path of terror." He also felt Israel was not doing enough to stop Jewish religious terrorism. After these comments, Rivlin received death threats.
Israel faced several elections between 2019 and 2021 that did not result in a clear winner. President Rivlin played a key role in trying to help form new governments. He gave different leaders, like Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, chances to build coalitions. When no one could form a stable government, new elections were called.
Eventually, a new government was formed in June 2021. This government included Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett rotating the position of prime minister. On 2 June, Isaac Herzog was elected to be the next president. Rivlin's term as president ended on 7 July 2021, when Herzog took office.
Views and Opinions
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Although Reuven Rivlin is considered a nationalist, he strongly supports minority rights. He especially champions the rights of Arab-Israelis. As Speaker of the Knesset, he made his first official visit to the Arab-Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm.
In June 2010, Rivlin refused calls to remove a Knesset member, Haneen Zoabi, who had joined the Gaza flotilla. Rivlin defended her right to speak in parliament. The same year, he spoke out against rabbis who said Jewish Israelis should not rent apartments to non-Jews. He said their statement "shames the Jewish people."
Rivlin has also spoken about the conditions for African refugees in Israel. He said, "As a democrat and a Jew, I have a hard time with concentration camps, where people are warehoused." In 2013, he criticized fans of the Beitar Jerusalem F.C. football team. They chanted anti-Arab slogans when two Muslim players joined the team. Rivlin stated, "Israeli society is sick, and it is our duty to treat this disease."
In November 2014, Rivlin canceled a performance by singer Amir Benayoun. This was after the singer released an anti-Arab song. In 2016, Rivlin did not allow certain Knesset members to enter the presidential residence. This was after they met with families of Palestinians who had attacked Israeli civilians.
Rivlin has supported the idea of a one-state solution. This means having one country for both Israelis and Palestinians. He believes that West Bank settlements are as much a part of Israel as Tel Aviv. He has said that Israel's fight is against terrorism, not against the Palestinian people or Islam.
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Rivlin has been critical of non-Orthodox Jewish movements. In 1989, he called Reform Jews "idol worshippers." He also refused to call Reform Jewish rabbis by their title. Before becoming president, he opposed giving equal status to Reform or Conservative Judaism. However, in November 2014, he welcomed Reform leaders to his home. He told them, "We are one family and the connection between all Jews, all over the world, is very important to the State of Israel."
Rivlin once supported recognizing the Armenian genocide. In 2012, he said it was a "moral duty to remember" the tragedy. He believed it should not be a political issue. As president, he has been less vocal on this topic.
In February 2018, the Polish Prime Minister stated that "there were Jewish perpetrators" of the Holocaust. Rivlin strongly condemned these words. He said, "Saying that our people collaborate with the Nazis is a new low." He emphasized the need to educate the world about that dark time.
Rivlin took part in the March of the Living in Poland in April 2018. He met with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Rivlin stated, "There is no doubt that there were many Poles who fought the Nazi regime, but we cannot deny that Poland and Poles had a hand in the extermination."
Personal Life
Reuven Rivlin was married to Nechama Rivlin from 1971 until her death in 2019. They had four children together. Rivlin has been a vegetarian since the late 1960s. He has been a fan of the Beitar Jerusalem football club since he was seven years old. He is also fluent in Arabic.
See also
In Spanish: Reuven Rivlin para niños
